In the heart of the ACC tournament, what's better than chatter about a tournament set to take place three years from now?

The New York Times is reporting that the 2017 and 2018 ACC tournaments will take play at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, an arena that is increasingly becoming a go-to alternative to Madison Square Garden for high-level college basketball action in New York City.

The response by ACC commissioner John Swofford was expected, reluctant to take away from the luster of this year's tournament by talking about one that is three years away.

"Future tournament sites is not a new topic, as it’s been discussed for the last several years and continues to be under discussion," Swofford said. "While we appreciate all of the interest in the future of this great event, we do not have anything to announce at this time, nor will we during the course of this tournament."

The 2014 tournament is underway in Greensboro and it will stay there for 2015, as well. Earlier this year, it was announced that the 2016 conference tournament would take place at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., conveniently a few years after Maryland's departure from the ACC.

This reported move to Brooklyn would put the ACC head-to-head against the Big East, which has anchored its conference tournament at Madison Square Garden even through realignment and a dramatic shift in the roster that makes up its members.

Barclays Center currently hosts the Atlantic 10 tournament, which is contracted to take place in Brooklyn through 2017. According to the report, officials from each conference will meet Friday in hopes of working out a deal.